Posted by liberalism is a disease
a resident of Birdland
on Sep 17, 2013 at 9:59 amliberalism is a disease is a registered user.

Obamacare is only 'affordable' for those people who frequently abused emergency services at our local hospitals and urgent care clinics. After all, they paid nothing, continue to pay nothing and responsible taxpayers foot their bills. It's a socialists dream....wealth redistribution amounting to 1/6th of the U.S. economy. For the left, this is only a start to what they feel is everyone paying their 'fair share'. The Robin Theory playing out on a national scale...remember this next time you vote.

Posted by Joe
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Sep 17, 2013 at 10:08 am

Interesting statistic from today's news. The number of uninsured Americans decreased, from 50 million to 48.6 million. However, the reason for the decrease was that more people aged into Medicare, not because they obtained insurance on their own or through their employer. I don't see how Obamacare is going to achieve its goal of universal coverage when the price points on the free market are as high as what's being reported.

We are in big trouble becaue the takers out number the givers, and the party that represents the takers continues to grow the number of takers by importing them and turning more of the givers into takers. California is toast. Even Cholo will be unhappy when there is nothing left to take.

Posted by Tired
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Sep 19, 2013 at 8:51 am

I'm tired of working exhausting hours to have to pay for so many others who have grown so accustom to handouts in our country. Obama is only enabling our country to become a place where it makes more sense to collect welfare, food stamps and free health coverage than to go to work each day. What are we teaching our children?
I have no issues helping those who truly need it but at what point does it become too much.
Our medical premium will almost exceed our mortgage payment next year. How can we not be resentful of something that will change our whole standard of living and only benefit many who choose not to work.
Look at the top areas of unemployment...those are the areas that have always had the highest amounts of welfare recipients....go figure.
And this will only continue as those with their hands out far out number those who don't.

Posted by Ben Johansen
a resident of Birdland
on Sep 19, 2013 at 9:00 am

As a small business owner, with 8 employees, if I renew early, my premiums will go up $70.00 per employee right now. If I wait till 2014, they go up $1100.00 per employee. No brainer right now, but I'm not sure what I'll be able to do next year for my employees.

Thank you to all the politicians who never read one word of this horrendous disaster of a bill and voted for it. And, apparently all the liberals are really the 'rich' folks, as you don't hear one peep out of them how much it's costing everyone. Of course their mantra is to keep repeating the same lies until everyone starts to believe it's the truth.

Posted by Dr. Gator
a resident of Southeast Pleasanton
on Sep 19, 2013 at 11:23 am

Ny Medical Insurance has gone up 15%+ per year for the 10 years. I think the AFFORDABLE CARE ACT (The correct name), has been a long time coming and is only a start to breaking the Big Pharma/Big Insurance strangle hold that is killing (literally)our country!

It's obscene that Insurance CEO's are making billions while people can't afford meds or decent health care!!

It's a frikkin crime!

I can't see how anyone in their right mind can support those greedy low lifes!

But as usual, ignorance is bliss for most of the right wingnuts who can only ape Rush Limbaugh and Hannity... Get some facts for a change!!!

Ben, we also have a small business with 8 employees and did the early enrollment for 2014. I was told if my employees leave our plan and go to the metals plan I will lose my small group status and our premium will go up even more. I was also told that in Alameda county only 3000 doctors will be providers in the metals plan, those odds scare me how would you ever get into see a doctor, I have not see the list of what doctors will be providers in P-town yet.
At least by doing the 2014 enrollment we can sit back and watch and maybe they will have some answers at the end of 2014.

Posted by Sandy
a resident of Pleasanton Heights
on Sep 19, 2013 at 1:08 pm

I've just read all the comments and I agree, but I and many other's begged you not to drink the cool-aid. I thought we had learned our leasson with Jim Jones, but no we've stopped thinking for ourselves and just go with whats politicaly correct not what makes sence.

Posted by Victor
a resident of Pleasanton Heights
on Sep 19, 2013 at 3:35 pm

Sure, there will be start-up problems and some inconsistencies, but something must change from the status quo. It's the law. He was re-elected. Time to get with the program, and if there are some truly horrid outcomes, well, then appeal and push for changes down the road to be more equitable.

This is just the beginning. Other countries have faced this problem and addressed it. It's long past our time to do so.

Posted by huggy bear
a resident of Downtown
on Sep 19, 2013 at 5:24 pm

Obamacare is a tax according to the supreme court, I think that says it all. Part of the current presidents plan to re-distribute wealth. Working people pay for those that don't. How long do you think that is going to hold up?

Posted by Roelwithit
a resident of another community
on Sep 24, 2013 at 7:47 am

So when you have to decide on paying your house payment or your heath care premium, then what? Looks like another housing collapse waiting in the wings. Healthcare is a problem but putting the cost of it on the backs of few who are already struggling will only result in more people being put out of work and potentially on government assistance. This law needs to be pulled and redone correctly. My real issue is that the GOP who opposes the law has yet to put anything on the table that corrects many of the problems with the law. Please will the adults in the room get this fixed before the entire economy collapses.

Posted by Seamus
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Sep 24, 2013 at 8:25 pm

I want to commend PW Editors for posting this ridiculous rant piece and calling it a story. Because it really is a newsworthy story, isn't it? I wonder if I wrote my own story, like many New Yorkers have, where I'll be paying up to 30% less for premiums would get the same attention/obfuscation as PW Editors have given to Alt? Fine job PW Editors, keeping readers informed of facts in the real world. Our objective media at work. And you're not a joke. Truly. Really. You are not.

Posted by Seamus
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Sep 25, 2013 at 8:25 am

Kudos and big high-fives to PW editors for printing Alt's rant, and calling it a news story, no less, while ignoring reports from the U.S. Health and Human Services Dept. Because in this day and age, when we have a socialist president we need to print any scrap of rubbish we can get our hands on to discredit Obam-Mao's socialist attacks upon American freedom and liberty. Another fine job, PW! Keep the rubbish pouring in, and make sure you don't allow info such as the following:

"When open enrollment begins on the online, state-based marketplaces established under Obamacare, premiums nationwide are expected to be around 16 percent lower than originally predicted, the U.S. Health and Human Services Department said in a new report released Wednesday.

"The administration sees the lower-than-expected premiums as a sign that the plan to drive down health costs for consumers by increasing competition is working. They also point to the insurers entering the individual health insurance market for the first time as a sign of strong competition, as well as the variety of plans that will be available on the market. [...]

"[Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius] noted that, according to the report, six in 10 uninsured Americans will be able to find coverage for less than $100 a month, while the average consumer in one of the 36 states with a federally-run marketplace will be able to choose from an average of 53 different plans."

Posted by Taxpayer
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Sep 25, 2013 at 9:31 am

First, Obama just granting EXEMPTIONS to congressional and white house staff (or ANYONE) is a HUGE slap in the face to the rest of us.
I will never call it ACA because there is not 'Affordable' for those footing the bill. For those who think it's affordable it's because of SUBSIDIES, which should be used in the same sentence. We taxpayers pay for SUBSIDIES TO folks (on a declining scale) up to $95,000. incomes.
But the funding method is so outrageous...like our INCOME TAX collection method also. Using a ONE-size fits all NATIONAL CHART.
$99,000. income in Memphis, Tulsa, and Bismark means the country club set. $99,000. in SF Bay Area means car loans, college loans, home loans, to attempt a middle income family life.
So a $99,000. taxpayer in San Fran will be SUBSIDIZING a $95,000. earner in Tulsa! ! ! How outrageous. The "chart" will say the $99k in SanFran is RICH, and must pay subsidies to provide insurance for the very comfortable $95k worker in Tulsa. We can't even call it socialized, it can only be called unjust confiscatory to the $99k taxpayer. Earnings are NOT equal in different locations.
I've talked for years how UNfair RIGID NATIONAL IRS charts are to HIGH-cost SanFran taxpayers. Puzzling why san fran would be Dem because IRS TAX charts are unfair to us, where a dollar here does not buy the same house as in Tulsa! Super RICH Pelosi screwed SFBayArea in structuring ACA FUNDING SOURCE !!!
And Cholo since you've been on the receiving end of tax $$, from YOUR perspective there is so much ""LOOSE CHANGE"" around, maybe you should be paying more. because the professional middle income family & friends I know have two part-times jobs to make up for no real job and there is NO loose change !!but OUT !!

Posted by Taxpayer
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Sep 25, 2013 at 11:17 am

Affordable for SOME, because of mandatory subdizing by middle-class in arbitrary areas like SF, where COL thus SALARIES are higher, placing them on IRS national $$ charts...making us victim/hostage/sugar daddies to those in other areas who are financially able.
We may be made to do whatever Big Brother orders, but do NOT INSULT us by using the term 'affordable'...such a LIE. Our own premiums are going up, and Dr services down, understood....all to MAKE it 'affordable' for folks who already had public services.
Rich will do just fine...this burden is TOTALLY born by the MIDDLE-CLASS in high-income areas.
Look at national IRS income charts. AND, oh YES, the IRS will police and administer obamacare. You know, the political IRS, will decide WHICH incomes they'll verify, and which ones they won't. Actually we should NOT use the term 'care' either. It has nothing to do with care....it's about INSURANCE coverage (because some got public care without insurance). Insurance $$ but NO insurance we'll have DOCTORS in few years.
Affordable and Care needs some reviewing. This MANDATORY 2000 page bill needs major fixes. Our previously insured, OK MIDDLE income life in Bay Area will be worse without fixes of this 2000 page nightmare. You would have thought, since Obama let Pelosi run wild on this his first year & half, while 'he' was letting her congress figure it out, he used it as an excuse to do NOTHING about JOBS, and allowed this economy to get worse and longer. Which is WHY many previously comfortable BayArea Middle-class are actually now going to pay HIGHER insurance, working 2 part-time jobs, and paying for VERY $$ comfortable workers in Memphis and Tulsa. SO Unfair.

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